History of Washington, D.C. in Timeline

Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, is a federal district situated on the Potomac River, bordering Virginia and Maryland. Named after George Washington and personified as Columbia, it serves as the nation's political center, housing key government institutions.

1908: Construction of the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue

In 1908, the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue was built in the Chinatown section of Washington, D.C.

1925: Founding of the United States Navy Band

In 1925, the United States Navy Band was founded. It has its headquarters at the Washington Navy Yard.

1935: Completion of the United States Supreme Court Building

In 1935, the United States Supreme Court Building was completed. Prior to this, the court held sessions in the Old Senate Chamber of the Capitol.

1938: Adoption of the D.C. Flag

In 1938, the flag of Washington, D.C., was adopted. It is a variation on George Washington's family coat of arms.

1950: Founding of Arena Stage

In 1950, Arena Stage was founded, achieving national attention and spurring growth in the city's independent theater movement.

1957: Opening of the Islamic Center of Washington

In 1957, the Islamic Center of Washington opened. At the time, it was the largest mosque in the Western Hemisphere.

1958: Ben's Chili Bowl Founded

In 1958, Ben's Chili Bowl was founded on U Street. It became a signature restaurant in Washington, D.C.

1961: Presidential Voting Rights Granted

In 1961, the 23rd Amendment was ratified which granted the people of the Washington, D.C., the right to vote for the president.

1961: 23rd Amendment Ratified

In 1961, the 23rd Amendment was ratified, granting Washington, D.C. three electoral college votes in each presidential election.

1964: Construction of the Capital Beltway

In 1964, Washington, D.C.'s highway loop, the Capital Beltway, was constructed.

1964: Electoral Votes Granted

In 1964, Washington, D.C., was granted electoral votes and has consistently voted for Democratic presidential candidates since.

1968: Ben's Chili Bowl during race riots

In 1968, Ben's Chili Bowl rose to prominence as a peaceful escape during the violent race riots in the city.

1973: Home Rule Act

In 1973, the Home Rule Act devolved certain Congressional powers to an elected mayor and a 13-member Council of the District of Columbia.

March 27, 1976: Washington Metro Opened

On March 27, 1976, Washington Metro, the city's rapid transit rail system operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), opened.

1976: GALA Hispanic Theatre Founded

In 1976, the GALA Hispanic Theatre was founded. It is now housed in the historic Tivoli Theatre in Columbia Heights.

1976: Marine Corps Marathon Began

In 1976, the Marine Corps Marathon began. The Marine Corps Marathon is the largest marathon that does not offer prize money to participants.

1978: Amendment Passed for Congressional Representation

In 1978, an amendment was passed but not ratified by the states to grant D.C. congressional representation.

1978: Voting Rights Amendment Passed

In 1978, the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment was passed, which would have granted D.C. Congressional representation.

1986: Voting Rights Amendment Expired

In 1986, the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment expired without being ratified into law.

1989: City government labeled "the worst in America"

In 1989, during Marion Barry's term as mayor, Washington Monthly magazine labeled Washington, D.C.'s city government "the worst city government in America".

1990: Religious Groups in Washington, D.C.

In 1990, Black Protestants were the largest religious group in Washington, D.C.

1995: Financial Control Board Created

In 1995, at the beginning of Marion Barry's fourth term, Congress created the District of Columbia Financial Control Board to oversee all municipal spending.

1998: Anthony Williams elected mayor

In 1998, Anthony Williams won election as mayor, subsequently leading a period of urban renewal and budget surpluses for Washington, D.C..

2000: Religious Groups in Washington, D.C.

In 2000, Catholics were the largest religious group in Washington, D.C.

2001: District Regains Financial Control

In 2001, Washington, D.C. regained control over its finances, leading to the suspension of the oversight board's operations.

2005: Poll on D.C. Representation

In 2005, a poll found that 78% of Americans did not know residents of Washington, D.C., have less representation in Congress than residents of the 50 states.

2007: Increased Enrollment in Charter Schools

By 2007, due to perceived problems with the traditional public school system in Washington D.C., enrollment in public charter schools had steadily increased.

2008: Opening of Nationals Park

In 2008, Nationals Park, where the Washington Nationals play, opened.

2008: SmartBike DC pilot program

In 2008, Washington, D.C. began a SmartBike DC pilot program preceding the Capital Bikeshare program.

2008: Private School Enrollment

In 2008, Washington, D.C. private schools enrolled approximately 18,000 students.

2009: Gross Domestic Product per Capita

From 2009 to 2016, Washington, D.C., consistently ranked at the very top among U.S. states in gross domestic product per capita.

2009: HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington, D.C.

In 2009, a report indicated that at least three percent of Washington, D.C., residents had HIV or AIDS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) characterized this as a "generalized and severe" epidemic.

2009: End of Student Decrease in DCPS

In 2009, the number of students in District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) stopped its steady decrease after 39 years.

2010: Traffic Delays for Washington Area Commuters

According to a 2010 study, Washington-area commuters spent 70 hours a year in traffic delays, which tied with Chicago for having the nation's worst road congestion.

2010: Charter School Enrollment

As of 2010, Washington, D.C., charter schools had a total enrollment of about 32,000, a 9% increase from the prior year.

2010: Arena Stage Reopening

In 2010, Arena Stage reopened after a renovation and expansion in the city's emerging Southwest waterfront area.

2010: Religious Groups in Washington, D.C.

In 2010, Mainline Protestants were the largest religious group in Washington, D.C.

2010: Capital Bikeshare program started

In 2010, Washington, D.C started Capital Bikeshare program. It is one of the largest bicycle sharing systems in the country.

2010: Health insurance coverage rate in Washington, D.C.

In 2010, Washington, D.C. had a health insurance coverage rate of over 90%, making it the second-highest rate in the nation. This was attributed to city programs that assist low-income individuals in obtaining insurance.

2010: Student Enrollment in Public Schools

In the 2010–11 school year, 46,191 students were enrolled in the Washington D.C. public school system.

2011: Largest companies based in Washington, D.C.

According to statistics compiled in 2011, four of the largest 500 companies in the country were based in Washington, D.C.

2011: Renovations Completed at Union Station

Following renovations in 2011, Union Station became Washington's primary intercity bus transit center.

2011: Washington Post Readership

In 2011, The Washington Post had the sixth-highest readership of all news dailies in the United States.

2011: Washington Metropolitan Area Economy

In 2011, the Washington metropolitan area was the nation's eighth-largest metropolitan economy. The economy was growing and diversifying with an increase in professional and business service jobs.

2012: Tourism in Washington, D.C.

In 2012, approximately 18.9 million visitors contributed an estimated $4.8 billion to Washington, D.C.'s local economy.

2012: Federal Taxes Paid

In the financial year 2012, D.C. residents and businesses paid $20.7 billion in federal taxes, more than the taxes collected from 19 states and the highest federal taxes per capita.

2013: Smithsonian Institution Visits

In 2013, the Smithsonian's locations in Washington, D.C., had a combined total of 30 million visits.

2013: Commuting by Private Automobile

In 2013, the Washington Metropolitan Area had the eighth lowest percentage of workers who commuted by private automobile (75.7 percent), with 8 percent of area workers traveling via rail transit.

2014: Corcoran College Absorbed by GWU

In 2014, The Corcoran College of Art and Design, the oldest art school in the capital, was absorbed into the George Washington University, now serving as its college of arts.

2015: Comparison of Bike Lane expansion

In May 2022, Washington, D.C., celebrated the expansion of its bike lane network to 104 miles (167 km), a 60 percent increase from 2015.

2015: UNPO Member State

Washington, D.C., has been a member state of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) since 2015.

2016: Washington Post Sold El Tiempo Latino

In 2016, The Washington Post sold the Spanish-language newspaper El Tiempo Latino to El Planeta Media.

2016: Return of Streetcar Line

In 2016, Washington, D.C. brought back a streetcar line, DC Streetcar, after the original streetcars were dismantled in the 1960s.

2016: Washington, D.C.'s GDP per capita

In 2016, Washington, D.C.'s GDP per capita was $160,472, which was almost three times greater than that of Massachusetts.

January 2017: Trump inauguration costs

In January 2017, the Trump inauguration cost Washington, D.C. $27 million, and $7 million was never repaid to the fund.

2018: Busiest airport ranking

In 2018, the Washington, D.C. area was the 18th-busiest airport system in the world by passenger traffic, accumulating over 74 million passengers between its three main commercial airports.

2019: Most Popular Sports Team

As of 2019, the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball are the most popular sports team in the District.

2019: "A Salute to America" cost

In 2019, Trump's Independence Day event, "A Salute to America", cost six times more than Independence Day events in past years.

2019: Highest median household income in the U.S.

In 2019, Washington, D.C., had the highest median household income in the U.S. at $92,266.

2019: Tourism Revenue in Washington, D.C.

In 2019, Washington, D.C., saw 24.6 million tourists, who collectively spent $8.15 billion during their stay.

2020: Think Tanks in Washington, D.C.

As of 2020, 8% of the country's think tanks are based in Washington, D.C., including the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Peterson Institute for International Economics.

2020: Religious Adherence in Washington, D.C.

In 2020, 56% of Washington, D.C.'s residents were adherents of a religious body, with Evangelical Protestantism being the largest tradition at 15% of the total population.

2021: Walk Score Ranking

A 2021 study by Walk Score ranked Washington, D.C. the fifth-most walkable city in the country.

2021: Federal district shrunk

In 2021 the statehood bill proposed that the federal district be shrunk to an area roughly the size of the national mall.

2021: D.C. Statehood Bill Passed by House

In 2021, a bill to make D.C. a state passed the House of Representatives but not the Senate.

2021: Bill Introduced for Retroceding District to Maryland

In 2021, a bill was introduced to congress for retroceding the district to Maryland, with the idea that by returning the area to Maryland, the residents would have normal State representation.

May 2022: Bike lane network expansion

In May 2022, Washington, D.C., celebrated the expansion of its bike lane network to 104 miles (167 km), a 60 percent increase from 2015. Of those miles, 24 miles (39 km) were protected bike lanes.

July 2022: Federal Government Employment

As of July 2022, 25% of people employed in Washington, D.C., were employed by the federal government.

2022: Top employers in D.C.

According to the District's comprehensive annual financial reports, in 2022, top employers in Washington, D.C. included Georgetown University, Children's National Medical Center, Washington Hospital Center, and George Washington University, among others.

2022: Unemployment rate of the metropolitan statistical area

As of 2022, the Washington, D.C. metropolitan statistical area's unemployment rate was 3.1%. The District of Columbia itself had an unemployment rate of 4.6% during the same time period.

2022: Climbed busiest airport ranking

By 2022, the Washington, D.C. area airport system had climbed to 13th-busiest for passenger traffic, even though passenger numbers decreased to less than 69 million.

2022: Museum Visitation in Washington, D.C.

In 2022, the National Museum of Natural History and the National Gallery of Art were the two most visited museums in the United States. Washington had eight of the 28 most visited museums in the U.S.

March 2023: Bike lane network update

As of March 2023, Washington, D.C. has 108 miles (174 km) of bike lanes, with 30 miles (48 km) of them protected bike lanes.

2023: Union Station ranking

As of 2023, Washington, D.C.'s Union Station is the ninth-busiest rail station in the nation and tenth-busiest in North America.

2023: Global Financial Centres Index Ranking

In the 2023 Global Financial Centres Index, Washington was ranked as having the 8th most competitive financial center in the world.

February 2024: Capital Bikeshare program

As of February 2024, the Capital Bikeshare program in Washington, D.C. had 6,372 bicycles and 395 stations.

2024: Michelin Stars for D.C. Restaurants

As of 2024, 25 restaurants have received stars in the D.C. Michelin Guide, representing the most starred restaurants per capita for any U.S. city.

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